In response to the outrage over Target donating to anti-gay Minnesota gubernatorial candidate Tom Emmer last year, the company has established a new committee to oversee political donations, The Advocate reports. From now on a group of senior executives will determine which candidates, parties, and political action committees the company should support. Target spokeswoman Jessica Carlson explains the new committee is, “responsible for balancing our business interests with any other considerations that may be important to our team members, our guests or other stakeholders.”
It’s great that Target is reexamining it’s policies, but this still doesn’t tell us what political causes the committee considers important to its employees, customers, and “business interests.” When asked if the changes were in response to the boycott from some gay rights supporters, Carlson said they’re “reflective of that perspective that we gained over the 2010 election cycle.” However, she wouldn’t discuss whether or not Target is consulting with gay rights advocates on the changes. An anonymous source claims the company is, and Carlson pointed out that the company has donated to LGBT causes in the past, and plans to support upcoming pride events in San Francisco and Chicago. However, that may not be enough to convince supporters of LGBT rights that the dollars they spend at the store aren’t funding the causes they’re fighting against.
Target Amends Giving Policy [The Advocate]
Earlier: Target Reneges On Promise To End Anti-Gay Donations
Target CEO Tepidly Apologizes For Donation To Anti-Gay Candidate